Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-12-16

starving in loathsomo prison; she saw him
rATsued by assaSsins, and dying under their
Knives; she saw him drowning in immeasur-
Tile depths of dark water; she saw him in
bed of fire, burning to death in the flames;
she saw him tempted by a shadowy creature +
to drink, and dying of the poisonous draught.
The reiterated horror of these dreams had
such an effect on her that she rose with the
dawn OF day, afraid TO trust herself again in
bed. In the old times she had been noted in
tho family Us the one member OF it who lived |
on afrectionatc terms with Montbarry. His |
other sister AMI his brothers were constantly |
luarreling with him. Even his mother owned |
chat her eldest son was, of all her children, |
the child whom she least liked. Sensible and |
reSolute woman us she was, Mrs Norbury |
shuddered with terror us she sat at the win
dow Of her room watching the sunrise and
thinking of her dreams.
She made the first excuse that occurred to
her when her maid came in Mt the usual hour
and noticed how i'll she looked. The woman
was OF SO superstitious temperament that it
would have been in the last degree indiscroet
TO trust her with the truth Mrs Norbury
merely remarked that she had not found the
bed quite to her liking on account Of the
large size of it. She was accustomed at nome,
as her maid knew, to sleep in a small bed.
Informed Of this objection later in the day,
the manager regretted that he could only
offer the lady the choice of one other bed
chamber, numbered Thirty eight, and stu
Lted Immediately over the bedchamber
which sic desired to leave, Mrs, Norhury
accepted the proposed change OF quarters.
She was now about TO pass her second night
In the room occupied in tho old days Of the
palace by Baron Rivar.
Once moro she fell asleep as usual. And
once more the frightful dreams Of the first
night terrified her, following each other in
the same succession. This time her nerves,
already shaken, were not equal to tho re-
newed torture of terror inflicted ON them.
She threw on her dressing gown and rushed
out Of her room in the middle Of the night.
The porter, alarmed by tho banging Of the
( door, met her hurrying headlong down the
stairs in search of the first human being she
could find to keep her company. Consider
ably surprised at this last manifestation OF
the famous English eccentricity," the man
| looked at the hotel register and led the lady
upstairs again to the room occupied by her
maid. The maid was not asleep, and more
wonderful still, was not even undreSsel. She
received her mistress quietly. When they
were alone, and when Mrs. Norbury had, as
a matter Of necessity, taken her attendant
into her confidence, the woman made a very
strange reply.
al have been asking about the hotel at the
servants supper tonight" she aid. Tho
valet of one of the gentlemen staying here
has heard that tho late Lord MontbGrry was
tho last person who lived in the palace before
it was made into hotel. The room he died
in, ma'am, was the room you slept in last
night. Your room tonight is the room just
above it said nothing for fear Of fright
ening you. For my own part, have passed
the night US you sec, keeping my light in and
reading my Bible. In my opinion, no mem
Der of your family can hope to be happy or
comfortable in this house,
"What do you meanP
@Please to let me explain myself, ma'am.
When MIR. Henry Westwick was here-l have
this from the valet, too-he occupied the room
his brother died in without knowing it-like
you. For two nights he never closed his eyes.
Without any reason for 1.-THE valet heard
him tell the gentlemen in the coffee room-he
could not sleep: he felt so low and so wretch d
in himself. And, what Is more, when day
timo came, he couldn't even eat while he was
under this roof. You may laugh at me,
ma'am-but even a servant may draw her
own conclusions. It's my conclusion that
something happened to my lord, which VIC
mono Of US know about, when he died in this
house. His ghost walks in torment until lie
can tell It'll The living persons related to him
are the persons who feel he is near them-the
persons who may yet sec him in the time to
come. Don't, pray don't stay any longer in
this dreadful place! wouldn't stay another
night here myself-no, not for anything
that could be offered mel"
Mrs. Norbury at once set her servants
mind at ease on this last point.
~ don't think about it as you do" she said,
gravely. "But should like to speak to my
brother OF what has happened. We will 60
back to Milan"
Some hours necessarily elapsed before they
could leave the hotel by the first train In the
forenoon.
In that interval Mrs. Norbury's maid
found an opportunity of conldentinlly In
forming the valet OF what had passed be-
tween her mistress and herself Tho valet
had other friends, to whom he related the
circumstances in bis turn. In due course Of
time the narrative, passing from mouth TO
mouth, reached the ears Of the manager. He
instantly saw the credit of the hotel was in
danger unless something was done TO retrieve
the character Of the room numbered Fourteen.
English travellers, well acquainted with the
Ieerage Of their native country, informed him
that Henry Westwicl and Mrs. Norbury were
by no means the only members of tho Mont.
barry family. Curiosity might bring more
of them to the hotel after bearing what bad
happened. The managers ingenuity easily
hit on the obvious means Of misleading them
in this case The numbers Of oil the rooms
were enameled in blue on white china plates,
screwed to the doors. He ordered q new
} plate to DO prepared, bearing the number
} "l3A,n and no kept the room empty, after its
} tenant for the time being had gone away,
! until the plate was ready. He then renun.
bered the room, placing the removed Number
Fourteen on the door OF his own room ION the
second Goor) which, not being to let, had not
previously been numbered ntall By this de.
vice Number Fourteen disappeared at once
and forever from the books OF the hotel q;
} the number Of bedroom to let,
Having warned the servants TO beware oi
! gossiping with travellers on the subject of the
changed numbers under peualty of being
dismissed, the manager composed his mind
with the reflection that he had done his duty
to his employers. "Now," be thought 20 him
self, with an excusable sense of triumph, "let
the whole family come here, IL they likel The
hotel is q match for them"
CHAPTER XVIII
Before the end of the week the manager
found himself in relations with 'the family"
once more. A telegram from Milan an
nounced that Mr.. Francis Westwick would
arrive in Venice on the next day, and would
be obliged IL Number Fourteen on the first
floor could DO reserved for him in the event
OF its being vacant at the time.
The manager paused to consider before no
issued his directions
The remembered room had been last let to q
French gentleman. II would be occupied on
the day of Mr. Francis Westwick's arrival,
but it would be empty ngain on the day
after. Would it be well to reserve the room
for the special occupation Of Mr.. Francb
and when he had passed the night unsuspic E
ously and comfortably in "No 13A," TO ask
him in the presence CT witnesses how he liked